Choosing Your Wedding Officiant

Choosing the right person to officiate your wedding ceremony is an important step in your wedding planning.  Here are some questions and tips to consider.

Choose a professional officiant.  While it may seem nice to include a friend or loved one in your wedding ceremony, having them act as officiant may not be the best way.  Acting as your wedding officiant has legal and practical implications that go beyond the ceremonial role.

"Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday."  We all remember the Impressive Clergyman from The Princess Bride.  Ask potential officiants to read a passage to you during the interview process.  There is often a large difference between someone’s reading and conversational tones.

Ceremony Style.  Many professional officiants will offer traditional and non-traditional ceremony styles including different levels of formality, religious influence and reading choices.  Most professional officiants do not perform a full sermon, but will read selected passages should you choose to do so.

Ceremony Rehearsal.  Participation in your wedding rehearsal may or may not be included in the officiant’s fee so you should definitely discuss this in advance.  If your wedding ceremony is fairly straight forward, you may not need anything beyond your final consultation.  If you feel you need a full rehearsal, negotiate the officiant’s participation in your initial contract.

Questions to ask:

• Can we personalize the ceremony?
• Can we do a religious or civil ceremony?
• Do you have sample ceremony readings and styles we can review?
• Do you have backup in case you are sick?
• Are you authorized to perform marriage ceremonies?
• Will you participate in the rehearsal?
• How will you dress?
• What are your ceremony fees?
• How many ceremonies will you officiate on my wedding day?

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Wedding Dress Shopping Tips

The wedding dress.  It may be the most iconic symbol of being a bride.  Shopping for your dream wedding dress can be one of the most enjoyable parts of your wedding planning, but can also be challenging.  Use these tips to help you as you look for the dress for your big day.

What to wear. You’ll be trying on a lot of dresses when looking for your dream dress, so wearing a dress that is easy to get in an out of makes a lot of sense.  You will likely get assistance from a store rep, so you want to plan for that in advance.  Wearing tights and a strapless bra will give you some coverage during those times.  A side benefit of those is the tummy control panels and extra support a bra can offer will make the dress look better.  If you will wear heels on your wedding day, bring a pair that is close to the height you plan to wear.

When to shop.  Saturdays are usually the busiest days at bridal salons.  If possible, make an appointment for a week day evening.  This will result in more personalized attention for you.

Who to bring.  Shopping for your wedding dress is a fun event.  You may want to bring your mother, maid of honor or sister.  Avoid bringing your entire bridal party - too many opinions can become overwhelming and be too much distraction as you shop.

Before you shop.  Bring pictures of dresses you like with you to your appointment.  This will help your shopping assistant find similar dresses for you to try on.  This can help you to define the materials and styles that appeal most to you.  Be open minded though, you won’t know the perfect dress until you try it on.

Stay hydrated.  Trying on dresses can be a workout!  Dressing rooms are often warm, so bringing a bottle of water with you is a good idea.  Most wedding dress shops do not allow soft drinks or coffee to protect the dresses.

Bring a camera.  Most wedding dress shops will allow you to take a picture of yourself in dresses you are considering.  Check their policy before taking pictures though.

Wedding dress timelines.  It is common for your wedding dress to arrive 4-6 months after you order it.  You will likely need alterations once it arrives.  Ask the representative when you need to order your dress to allow for their timeline.

Other wedding day items.  Once you’ve found your dress, you can select your wedding veil, shoes, slip and other items.  Many wedding dress shops also offer a full line of wedding accessories.

Questions to ask.

1. Does the store design custom gowns, update vintage gowns, or provide options when ordering particular gowns (for example, neckline or sleeve styles)?  What is the cost of these services?
2. Is the store willing and able to order a sample gown you may have seen in a catalog or magazine if they don’t have it in house?
3. What is the estimated wait time between ordering and arrival of dress?  If necessary, can the store accommodate rush orders and what are the additional costs?
4. What is the store’s policy for down payments, deposits, cancellation, and when is the balance due?
5. What is the cost of alterations?  Can you get the estimate in writing?  

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12 Budget Friendly Ways To Personalize Your Wedding Day

Personalizing your wedding day does not need to add additional expense to your wedding budget.  Here are 8 ways to add your style without breaking the bank.

1.  Share your travels.  Have you and your fiance shared some special travels?  Name your tables after places that you have been with photos from those locations.  If you haven’t done much traveling yet, you can name them after places that are special to you, such as the place where you met, your first date, your college days, or where the proposal occurred. You can frame a few lines that tell the story.

2. Add your monogram.  Simple items take on a higher level of sophistication as soon as you apply your monogram.

3. Write it out.  Hand-written table cards with a note on the back to each guest is a great way to personalize their experience.  Just be sure to give yourself plenty of time.  DIY elements can be budget friendly, but labor intensive.

4. Theme your menu.  Having a tropical honeymoon?  Consider adding a tropical fruit bar.  Engaged over Italian dinner?  Add pasta stations to your reception menu.  You can add a note to your menu to explain the choice.

5. Guest favors.  If you have a special talent and the time, making guest favors can be a fun way to thank guests for attending.  If you are short on either, adding a photo or your names to the item can still make it personal.

6. Carry your friends with you.  Ask attendees of your bridal shower to contribute a broach for your bouquet.  Broach bouquets are very trendy for 2013 weddings.

7. Pay It Forward.  Instead of purchasing guest favors, consider making a donation to a charity you support.  Announce your intent in a frame at each table or offer your guests

8.  Personalize your cake.  Sure you can have your favorite flavors, but you can also add some personality with your cake topper.  Whether it matches your theme or actually includes your image, your cake has great potential for personalization.

9.  Involve your guests.  Memory trees, advice collections, ShutterBooth memory books and signature mattes are great ways to involve your guests in personalizing your wedding day.

10.  Create a welcome table.  Set the tone of your wedding reception and welcome guests by creating a welcome table of your joined families wedding day images.

11.  Honor family history.  Add a piece of your mother's wedding dress to the under skirt of your wedding dress.

12.  Give thanks.  Whether through a toast at your wedding reception or written word, thanking your guests for sharing the joy of your wedding day is always a great idea.

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Engagement Ring Care

Whether you are newly engaged or recently married, your engagement and wedding ring will probably be the most important, and expensive, piece of jewelry you will ever wear.  And unlike the jewelry you only wear for special occasions, these rings will see daily wear.  Here’s some tips for the care of these important rings.

Insurance.  Your jeweler may offer replacement stone insurance, but that will not protect you in the case of loss, theft or damage.  It is a good idea to get your ring appraised and insured as soon as possible.  Most homeowner’s and renters insurance can add it to your existing policy for a nominal charge.

Proper Fit.  Most showcase rings are size 6.  Unless that is the perfect fit for you, ask your jeweler to fit the ring to your hand.  Your ring may feel tight on warm days and loose on cold.  When having your ring sized, give yourself time to adjust to the store temperature, you can use that extra time to look at jewelry for your wedding day look.

Proper Care.  Some metals and stones require special care.  Your jeweler can advise you on the best care practices for your engagement ring.  A mild soap and water is usually sufficient to keep your ring sparkling.  It is a good idea to remove your ring before putting on lotion, cleaning with harsh chemicals or other damaging activities.  You can also ask about having the ring steamed and polished – especially before your wedding day!

Safekeeping. For the few times that you will remove your ring, keep it in a safe place.  A jewelry box or bag, ring holder or any other place that it won’t get knocked over or misplaced.  Next to the sink is not a good idea unless you have a plumber on speed dial.

Showing it off.  As soon as you announce your engagement, people will ask to see the ring.  Treat your self to a manicure so you can show with confidence!

The wrong ring.  While most brides will love their engagement ring, it is possible that your fiance chose one you don’t.  If this happens, it is best to gracefully explain that you were hoping for something different.  Many jewelers allow an exchange of the ring within the first month.

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Selecting Your Wedding Photographer And Videographer

Choosing the right wedding photographer and wedding videographer for your special day is extremely important. You will be entrusting your wedding photographer and videographer to capture your first family record. Long after your wedding day, this will be one of the few wedding purchases that will remain.

So where do you begin selecting the wedding photographer and videographer that is perfectly you? Before you begin interviewing potential wedding vendors, it is recommended that you and your fiancé discuss what is important to each of you. Discuss the style of imagery that you like and agree to a budget range for these services.

Wedding photography and videography styles

A wedding photographer or videographer that specializes in photojournalist wedding photos and videos will not showcase many posed photos in their wedding galleries, instead showing more candid or spontaneous pictures of your wedding day. While you are likely to get great images of details and locations, you won’t receive as many, or possibly any, set up shots. When looking at a photojournalists work, it is a good idea to see a full wedding album to see how these images are used to tell a story. If family formals or portraits are high in your wish list, you’ll want to ask how these will be captured.

A traditional wedding photographer or videographer will provide you with well lit, classic wedding portraits. The majority of their work will feature posed images of the couple and their families. The traditional photographer may capture fewer wedding day details, focusing more on traditional images of the people at your wedding day. Traditional wedding photography and wedding videography will also provide fewer candid moments.

Artistic photography and videography will often showcase images shot from unique angles, composed with tilted frames or objects in focus while others are not. Artistic shooters will often use lighting to create drama in their images. Often an artistic shooter will concentrate on the unique elements of hour day, and not document the family affair that your wedding day is, in the process of creating fine art. This style often requires a significant amount of post production to create the final image so its important to make sure those services are included.

Stylized wedding photography and videography blends the storytelling elements of photojournalism with elements of traditional photography and videography. Images often have an artistic nature, using blurred backgrounds, different levels of focus and a variety of angles. The stylized shooter will create the environment for your natural emotion and personalities to be reflected and provide coaching to look your best without creating overdosed photographs. Many couples prefer a stylized approach.

Research

The visual nature of this service can make it easier to research in advance than some other wedding services, such as a baker or florist. Before meeting with photographers and videographers, you may find it helpful to read reviews from other brides. The Knot can provide a great source for reviews. Talk with recently married friends about their experience with wedding vendors. Social media sites such as Facebook and Pinterest can give you an insight into recent work from potential photographers and videographers.

The interview

You’ll want to ask questions of potential wedding photographers and wedding videographers, but they should also ask questions of you. Showing an interest in your venue, wedding vision and style shows that they want to understand your unique needs and be sure they can meet them. You should also have the opportunity to see samples of wedding albums, wedding videos, fine art products or other items you are considering for your wedding day. Be sure to see and review all contracts when placing a deposit for services. For questions to ask your wedding photographer, click here.  For questions to ask your wedding videographer, click here.

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Engagement Party

Once he’s asked and you’ve said yes, it’s time to announce your engagement. Many couples make that announcement at the first party of the bridal season – the engagement party. Traditionally, the bride’s parents would host an intimate gathering of family and friends to celebrate the upcoming nuptials. More recently, grooms parents, relatives, friends or even the couple themselves have begun to throw this congratulatory gala. So where do you start?

Guest List

If you or your parents are hosting, anyone receiving an invitation to your engagement party should receive an invitation to the wedding. For this reason, the engagement party is typically a gathering of your closest friends and gamily.
If your friends are throwing the party for you, the rules on who to invite are less strict. While it can be more casual, you should remain aware of the number of guests you request attend as not to over burden your hosts.

The Tone

Your engagement party will typically be more casual than your wedding regardless of the level of formality you will have for your wedding day. Many engaged couples will celebrate by gathering for cocktails or dinner at a favorite restaurant or backyard BBQ.

Gifts

Engagement party gifts should not be expected from guests, although you will likely receive some. As with all wedding related gifts, a thank you note should be written to the gifter. If someone is hosting the party for you, you should give them a gift of thanks at the end of the event.

Attire

Your attire for the day will be dictated by the location and tone of the event. If your engagement session is built around a particular theme, such as a luau, you will likely dress to compliment your party theme. Many brides to be opt for a white dress for their engagement party.

What to expect

This is your chance to show off your engagement ring, so you’ll want to get a manicure! Expect to do a lot of talking as guests will won’t to know if you’ve chosen a date, location and more. Also expect to receive unsolicited advice of what you should do. This is a great way to practice the grace you’ll need throughout the wedding planning process.

Toasts

The host of the engagement party will likely toast the newly engaged couple. Your guests will also want to hear from one, or both, of you, as well. Be sure to thank your guests for attending and your host and hostess.

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Favorite Wedding Movies

Whether you are spending an evening with your bridesmaids or a date night with your fiance, these movies will help you to keep the fun in wedding planning.  Which wedding movie is your favorite?  Please comment below.

Mamma Mia!

Your family drama will seem normal compared to this bride and her three possible fathers.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

This one will have you appreciating your family and how they shaped you into who you are now.

Father of the Bride

The 1991 remake of the classic is about a father letting go of his little girl.  For once, it’s fun to see Dad portrayed as the neurotic stressed out parent balanced by the level headed Mom.  And who doesn’t love the flamboyant wedding planner, Franck.

My Best Friend’s Wedding

Best friends Michael and Julianne make a college pact to marry each other if neither is married by their 28th birthday.  When Michael announces his engagement to someone just before their birthdays, Julianne tries to break if off.  Great laughs and who can forget the karaoke scene and resurgence of “I Say A Little Prayer”?

The Wedding Singer

80′s flashback, cameo by Billy Idol and Adam Singer performing “Grow Old With You”.  What more can you ask for in a fun wedding flick?!

Wedding Crashers

No one wants a real life wedding crasher, but if they brought this kind of party, it might not be so bad.

Princess Bride

Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles…as you wish

BridesmaidsWedding planning got you stressed?  Take a break with your girls for some comedy from the ladies perspective.

Runaway Bride.

If the thought of running away has crossed your mind, this movies love story will remind you to stay.

27 Dresses

You’ve been a bridesmaid how many times?!

Interested in making your own wedding movie classic?  Click here to learn more.

What is your favorite wedding movie?

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